LAGOS LOOKER TILL DEATH

Lagosians can really look...it really is that bad that all in the name of looking, I want to know what is happening, “Oju mi to” or “Ose oju mi” as the Yorubas would say -these three people would have to lose their lives for it. I also have these nose for stories as in wanting to know and see the issue as it happens and not some second handed gist but not at the detriment of my life.

My aunt was the eyewitness and for days she could stop talking about it. The story was so gory and she could help warning us for day to be careful of bikes and never go look...the account was like this...A girl fell off a bike on the road when the bike man fell into a pot hole and was hit by a car coming behind them. The girl was badly injured and my Lagos lookers friends wanting to see the victim with their own eyes cross the express-way without checking for on-coming vehicles and alas that was their end as they were crushed by a tanker carrying trailer beyond any recognition...my aunt went as far as describing the gory details of brains spilling out and all those other things in the body...how devastating and sad for their family...they just might never know what happened to their children. Some days I just can't help but think about how stupid some people just are and some times we just come to the conclusion that it was their destiny to die that way.

 I make sure to pray to God never to die in a shameful and unspeakable manner because that is what I see these people death as...

WHAT A VERY LONG DAY...

My whole body hurts and have got blisters on my feet...the day has really been a long one for me...got home some like thirty minutes ago...the rush is on to submit our B.A project....in the last the twenty-four hour, I have only had two hours sleep. This sleeplessness started when I found out that the project submission deadline is on Monday the 20th...imagine my supervisor just approved my chapter three and just got my chapters one and two approved this Tuesday.

Had to a good four hours wait at the doorstep of my supervisor on Tuesday before I finally got to see him by five-thirty pm. I had to seriously defend my write up as he was of the opinion that a girl who is on the verge of graduating with a shaking second class lower degree write with that much dexterity. In his words..."if you write this well, how come you are not on a second class upper" and i kept hearing words such as "this is not your style", "this is not your language","someone is writing this for you".... what was on my head was just that he should approve and stop complaining. Did not leave school until 7 pm and had to go all the way to my aunt's house armed with my approved chapters.

Did not sleep at all-all because i was trying to get my chapter four...the guy that promised me internet service for the night fucked up and had to make do with the little materials i had and a confusing data...


The sun today was extremely hot..was already soaking wet by the time i got to school...On getting to school, there was no light to print my materials ...had to chill my friend who was making her hair...after that  went to the faculty and began the long wait to see my supervisor again-this time to get my chapter three and to find out the consequences of failing to meet the submission deadline...the wait today was also long as every one is rushing to meet the deadline...

Was roaming round school with my friend as she was also waiting to see her course adviser...the walk was just aimless. Finally got to see my supervisor and we still had same issue of not your style...but no arguments today...we just had a brief meeting and he gave me a very good comment with a 7 out of 10 mark...(am on the road to getting an A in my project)...asked him if i could default the deadline...and his answer was "if you want quantity, you submit on Monday and if you want quality, you take your time. Since i have always taken my time to write the project and am seriously aiming an A, I can't afford to risk that...

I have really come a long way with this project and can not afford any fuck up or delay ...got to get the A...have got to go and sleep-cant work this night on the project...if i don't get this sleep...would definitely break down...can't die because of project oh...

FINALLY GOT A RIDE ON A BRT BUS: 20/08/2008

yeah I finally got a ride on the BRT bus yesterday...I really don't know why the excitement but i have always waited for this day...remember telling my ex- to park his car and we should go for a ride on the bus. A classmate of mine had told me how he never regretted parking his car at home for the BRT buses. According to him it was more convenient than having to drive in the traffic jam of Ikorodu road. The queue at the bus stations have always hindered my getting on the bus-the queue is always just damn too long. Also the buses just do not follow my routes. The terrible traffic hold-up on Ikorodu road due to the closure of the third mainland bridge afforded me this opportunity. I had to go down to Channels TV for my project work and it just did not occur to me that the traffic situation on the road was so bad. On my way down to my destination, i saw the traffic and had estimated that i would spend at least two hours on a journey that would have taken me about forty minutes back to school...I considered the BRT option but i had it in mind that if i met a long queue on my way back, i would prefer to take a normal bus because the amount of time spent on a queue sometimes is worth getting on a normal bus.


Fortunately the BRT station for Maryland was just directly opposite the building i went to and there was no single queue and the bus had just few people on it (cant imagine myself standing on a bus)...I quickly paid my fare and hopped into the bus. The ride was actually convenient and I got to my destination in less than forty minutes which was quite cool and amazing for a journey on Ikorodu road which could take on like one hour even before the whole third mainland issue started...The T fare was also very very okay as it was half the normal price and like three quarter of the recently inflated price...it is just the standing part I don't like as that does not differentiate it from the molues...What i find real cool on the part of the drivers and conductors is fact that they carry school students for free to their destinations...as i was made to realize that it is not all buses that carry out this act...

For once I can commend the state government for this act of theirs because not until i got on a BRT bus did I realise the cool benefits of this project...In the present situation of Lagos, omo no forming...if one intends to get to destination on time...then the BRT makes sense or the other alternative-"Okada" which i do not find appealing. My dad would be appalled when he finds out that i still jumb on the Okadas-"what can one do, ones got to survive and get to your destination through the fastest means possible...

♥ Lara

MAKAMA GIRLS AND FIGHT

I don tire for makama girls and fights...the most annoying part of it is that they always have these fights early in the morning.You know those times when you enjoy the sleep... In the last few weeks...we have been witnessing serious fights among these girls. The fights are usually between bunk mates...it is real bad living with difficult bunk mates especially if they are on the lower bunk. being on the lower bunk give you serious edge over your mates as if there is a fight it is the person on the upper bunk that suffers.

The really serious one happened weeks back when one of the girls strangled the other and when asked why she allowed the devil use her...all she said was the other girl had boasted that she was the winner in the earlier fight in the morning and so if she strangled and killed her-every one would know who the winner of the fight is...( what a stupid statement)...can never imagine myself having such crazy thought. The other fight happened some days back and it was also so stupid and dumb as the first one...just that it was not as crazy as the first one.

Ironically the fight always occur between yoruba and igbo girls...and the yoruba girls always rally round to defend themselves. This got the igbo girls talking that any time such fights happening again,they would all gang up and defend their own...they made such statements like the yoruba only eat "amala" unlike igbo who eat thick "eba" and "apu"...

Though I always long to watch fight I would not really like to be around for a disaster...as the last serious fight I witnessed was like three years ago at moremi hall which would have turned a disaster...

♥ Lara

HAPPENINGS OF THE LAST FEW DAYS

Never in my four years in the university of Lagos has the nationwide blackout affected the inhabitants of the institution...Because in those days the generating set was always on once the lights goes off...For the past two weeks there has been total blackout in the university with only the Senate Building and Library lighted...in the last two days we get to have light form 12am to 12pm...which to me is so ridiculous...we always have to stay up late in other to charge our phone batteries and others....during the evenings students are forced to wile away their time chatting and walking around....imagine having to miss SECOND CHANCE...The schools generating set have been bad for God knows how long...Some have been sold...especially that of my hall (the place now house a eatery)....The queue for water is always terribly long...Some have to climb the water tanks to get water...did this for the first time and the height was scary....The 'Any-works' gets us water from any where at an increased rate...This lack of electricity brings out the laziness in us all as we all hide under the cover of no light...most people have decided to stay in their house...like the house is any better...and some have to go out all night to avoid the darkness...Most night I spend alone in the room because my room-mates just have to go out

This feeling of boredom and not wanting to sleep alone in the room led me to the AIESEC Nigeria Kangaru groove...had intended to just go down to the office and return to my room when the others are leaving for the club...Seeing and the idea of hanging out old team mates like Asiat Assayouti, Sade Dada and Yisa made it all tempting and also the fact that i had not been out all night in a while...i was just the perfect opportunity to loosen the tension and stress of the past days...

Had fun...over danced and had to sleep like a log the whole of Sunday, ended up missing the program i had planned on attending for the day...the time spent was worth the while...looking forward to hanging out pretty much again...

THE HOUSE

It's a place to lay our head after the day's struggles and it provides us with security... This particular house has come to mean a lot to my family-more than we want to think of or appreciate...The significance of the house has always been underestimated...the house in question is my aunt's...the realization of its significance fully dawned on me yesterday morning-when my mum woke me up to tell we had to leave for the house...lately i have avoided visiting the house...something has always pulled me away from it...yet i run to it there's no where else to go...actually there is no where else to go to...whenever i have a fight with my mum and i want to leave our house...i move to the house...i partly grew up in the house...my childhood and secondary school days was spent shuttling between the house and my mothers'...whenever my mum was out of town...i was there...Holidays was spent there...even weekends are not left out...

Six years back when the bomb blast occurred in the military cantonment...we ran to the house...We always run to the house whenever the need arises...my family seen to feel secure when they are there- even though we always disagree with the inhabitants on almost all issues...


As the days go by...i guess i would appreciate the house more and more...time will come when i no longer be able to run to it-because i will move on with and the life might actually cease to exist...whichever way, it is still there for the time...


♥ Lara

SETTLING IN

Finally moved out of my neighborhood of 14 years in march...it about 20 years of my mother's life...was actually not around for the moving...just got a call from my mum that we have moved and I had to change directions...

I have actually looked forward too moving out of that end and particularly the house for a very long time...I have never felt in place in the area...The end and its people had always been to loud for me...the few friends I made have all moved out of the end and I've felt out of place for a long time...

The fact that we would wake up in the morning and not face some lousy landlady is one thing that gives me joy...at least I can now call my self a landlady's daughter (yeah right!)...it does feel good to be one...

My new end is actually far-cant dispute that fact; would actually miss my old end for its nearness to town-it is situated in the centre of Lagos and leads to almost all part...My new end takes like forever to get to...at least people would really have to think twice before coming over to visit unannounced...

My ability to adapt in this new environment is still shaking...spend most of my time in school for now and i usually go home for the weekends which is usually on Saturdays and late in the evening. I have not had the time to explore the area...my days at home is spent washing and sleeping (got to rest after all the stress in school)...

Being a reserved person...don't have issues with the quietness of the end...cool with it for now...

EMPTY...

I have so much to write and share...but right now i feel so empty, blank and can't seem to write anything...a whole lot has been happening to me lately...lots of transformation and each passing day- I discover a new me...right at this moment i just cant seem to share it...guess the excitement is not there right now...am kind of fagged out...never knew final year and project could really take my time and drain me this much...when i get the inspiration and zeal to share, then i will...guess it is time for me to get off...

MY JOURNEY TO THE STRIPER'S WORLD

Going out on Friday night was not on my agenda but when the pangs of hunger and the desire to eat something entirely different from the conventional food...I was quick to jump at the offer...

To my topic...when my friends and I were told we are visiting a stripper's club...we were actually not enthusiastic about it as we have been to one and the girls danced in their bras and pant throughout...we were in for a shocker

...On getting to the venue, we still had the same view as the girls were still in their normal bikini bra and g-strings...when the show finally started my friends and I had our mouths opened throughout our stay in the club.

Shakira and Beyonce would go green with envy if they only saw some of this girls dancing...there was actually one who would make any woman go green with envy if she is ever caught dancing with one's hubby.

If I had been given the gist, would have said it was a lie as my other friends had said when we gisted them...I saw young ladies naked to the full glare of all.

This was a whole lot different from the one we watch on TV...trust Nigerians to be different...the rules of the game was totally bent and this was more like a parade of prostitutes...because I know strippers are not to be touched by the men...we actually saw one of the strippers been fingered by a guy...It actually lacked professionalism as this is a Job to these girls

These ladies we were told are student from various universities of the nation...and they were all beautiful... I am sure some sought of recruitment was done because this girls were all tall and curvy...they could past out for models...

One of the girls offered to dance for us and she was just too good...we had our fun that night and it was really amazing to know that there are a lot of coded venues like that in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.

THE ECHO OF CULTISM

I am really sad and angry...sad at the death of a neighbour and angry at the cruel murderer who put an end to his life abruptly.

Cultism to me was an over flogged issue...until recently. Cultism was a thing of the past and old fashioned. Maybe because in my school it is a coded thing...I have being introduced to a couple of guys who are said to be cultist in school but they all seem normal and since no act of violence has being perpetrated by these guys in recent years...I was never bothered by their activities and I don't step my boundaries. I narrowly escaped a cultist attack in a school way back in 2003 but it has seen being a stale gist in my life...

Yesterday night my neighbor came to inform us that his wife's brother was killed five days ago. This is one guys I have always admired...He was cool, respectful, quiet, easy going and really cute (though i am told this was a facade). He was killed in school during a cult clash at a party...His remains was found four days after in the bush by the police, who contacted his father... His brother-in-law had to identify and bury him in the town yesterday...What a way to live and be buried...he is an only son with lots of sisters...His death is to remain a secret from the family(only the parents and in-law know, even the wife is left in the dark).

My Perfect image of the guy came crashing as I was informed that he had always being a cultist...having had to be expelled from his first school in his final year over same issue...He nearly lost his life then...He had to start school all over from the beginning and still he went back to the same thing that nearly killed him...and that same thing has ended his life. What a shameful way for a PASTOR one and only son to die... His death is to be kept a secret...it is convenient and a good lie can be come up with... As my mother says it is nemesis that caught up with him. 

Just that I don't want to change my beautiful image of him and I pray to God Almighty to forgive him his sins...and to his killer may nemesis also catch up with him